Table of contents: issue52

The Cambridge History of Libraries in Britain and Ireland

editor — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:00:00 +0000

John MacColl reviews the first two volumes of this very substantial three-part work, covering the periods to 1640 and 1640-1850.

Cambridge University Press has, with the first two volumes of its three-volume history of libraries in Britain and Ireland, provided a wealth of fascinating information on the development of libraries and librarianship from a sterling collection of historians and scholar librarians. The publication of an edited history results in a denser packing of detail than would be achieved by a work of single authorship, since so many specialists each have an abundance of knowledge to cram into their relatively small allocations of space.

Change Management in Information Services

editor — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Ian Lovecy examines change theories and strategies, and their application to creating a change culture in an information service.

This book is, as can be seen from the extensive bibliography, a comprehensive review of the literature on change management as well as a study of how - and how not! - to apply it to the running of an information service. The basic premise, which is reiterated through the book, is that in a time of rapid technological development an information service needs to be readily adaptable, flexible, and prepared to be in constant change.

Book Review: Managing the Test People

editor — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 23:00:00 +0000

Lina Coelho expected a book that would challenge her technical knowledge and understanding but found a readable and useful guide for the time-pressed manager.

I chose this title from the list of review items with trepidation expecting to find a technological beast. To my surprise the cover showed the pixelated image of a conductor and the only beast I found inside the covers was the metaphorical image of Judy McKay's team.